More than 3,700 homes in South West England have been left without power after Storm Austin passed through, the energy company National Grid said. On the evening of 23 October, the company said its teams had restored power to more than 60,000 homes affected by the storm.
A day earlier, around 31,000 homes in the region were without power. The strong winds and heavy rain also disrupted transport links and flights were cancelled. Part of Brighton's historic West Pier has collapsed into the sea under the pressure of high waves.
Orange warning for northern areas
While the southwest of England recovers from the consequences, the northern regions of Britain are preparing for storm “Boelo“. The British Meteorological Service has issued an orange warning for dangerous weather for Scotland, northern England to Carlisle and the north-east of Northern Ireland.
The warning is in force from 9pm on October 24 until the same time on October 25. Wind gusts are expected to exceed 128km/h, especially in exposed coastal and highland areas. Forecasters are warning of flying debris, high waves and significant disruption to rail, ferry and road transport.
In the higher reaches of Scotland, rainfall could exceed 100mm in 24 hours. The rain is expected to ease overnight in many areas but continue in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Flood warning
First Minister Andy Burnham has warned that the country could face a “winter of more widespread flooding”. He said unexpected events were becoming more frequent and urged people to be better prepared for power cuts and other effects of extreme weather.
The Met Office advised people in orange-rated areas to avoid going outside during the strongest winds and to monitor transport and power warnings.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com, theguardian.com